SAM – EIN SACHSE was filmed until the end of May 2022 under the direction of Soleen Yusef (lead director) and Sarah Blaßkiewitz. The first original series produced in Germany has been available to watch on Disney+ with all seven episodes since April 26, 2023.

Producer and creator Jörg Winger (Big Window Productions) describes the unusual development of the project: “Ever since Tyron told me the true story of ‘Sam’ Njankouo Meffire fifteen years ago, it has stayed with me. It’s one of those rare stories that never ceases to fascinate – no matter from which angle you look at it: as an emotional thriller, as the drama of a prodigal son, as a commentary on the wild years of East Germany in the early nineties. Sam’s story is highly emotional, stirring, abysmal and full of hope. It is localized and globally understandable. And it gives us an insight into the search for identity of a Black German. My team at Big Window Productions and I are very happy that we can now embark on this exciting journey together with Disney+.”

The story of SAM – EIN SACHSE is close to the heart of producer and creator Tyron Ricketts (Panthertainment), who also found it, and as an artist he is driven by a burning desire to give a voice to the majority of underrepresented authentic experiences of people of color in the country: “When Sam told me his story, it was clear to me that this story had to go around the world. Then as now, it’s about a radical change in society and trying to find a place for yourself in it. While we are used to seeing the world through the ‘white lens’, SAM – EIN SACHSE tells the story of the struggle for his homeland as the first Black policeman in East Germany from his own perspective – that of a Black German. An important and necessary milestone in the German film landscape.”

Anne Tide, Director Original Productions, The Walt Disney Company GSA: “When Joerg and Tyron introduced the story of Sam, we were deeply touched and at the same time electrified because we immediately felt that now was the time to tell Sam’s life for a German and international audience. This particular perspective on a life in Germany will appeal to a wide audience and is at the heart of our ambition for local Disney+ Originals. With our partners at Big Window and Panthertainment, we are very much looking forward to shooting with an exceptional cast and crew in front of and behind the camera. We are very proud to be able to realize this exciting and poignant series as our first fictional project and to take a look at Germany in a way we have never seen before.”

SAM – EIN SACHSE is a production by Big Window Productions in cooperation with Panthertainment for Disney+. The seven-part mini-series is supported by the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF).